


Anemocamellia

by clonesagainsthumanity



Category: The Yogscast, Yogscast
Genre: Body Horror, Character Death, Flowers, Implied Torture, M/M, Mild Gore, Mild Language, extreme emotions, flowerAU, greif, like there are flowers in the skin and stuff, mild violence, xephnable - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-15
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2018-09-17 13:19:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9326546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clonesagainsthumanity/pseuds/clonesagainsthumanity
Summary: Anemone: "a feeling of having been forsaken and fading hope"Camellia: "my destiny is in your hands"Lalnable would rather not talk about his past.After being freed from Yoglabs, an organization practically focused on botany rather than science, he made it his mission to forget it all. But when Xephos and Honeydew suddenly showed up at his doorstep, shadows of their former selves, it sends him spiraling into panic. Despite his best efforts to avoid them, from then on, the two keep showing up! The worst part is... he can feel himself growing on them.Credit for flower meanings:https://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/aboutflowers/flower-meaningshttps://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/g2503/surprising-flower-meanings/?slide=5





	1. Daffodil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daffodil: "new beginnings"

These past few hours have shaken me beyond relief, and my thoughts will not rest. I cannot sleep- my mind will not allow me. I will be reflecting on the recent events that are now haunting me, in an effort to calm my nerves. I suppose I should start from the beginning.

It all began on this chilly Autumn morning, shrouded in blissful bird cries and pale sunlight. I had just gotten out of bed and was standing in the middle of my cramped living room, surrounded by mess from the night before. I looked sleepily past old plates and freshly dusted knick-knacks and gazed into the open window, just left of the main entrance. Pale sunlight, accompanied by sweet air, shone through the window, making the room less stuffy and more comfortable. I sipped on bitter coffee and watched dust swim and dance in the rays of calming sunlight bursting from the windows. My dear creation, and friend, Specimen Five, hadn't bothered to tidy up before leaving to do her business, leaving me to clean the mess. At least she had awoken me from my slumber. I ignored the unkempt room and sat on our lumpy sofa to 'enjoy' my coffee. The silence that surrounded me was content and felt almost homely. It would be easy to think about the day's future activities with the blissful quiet sounds of nature and an old, worn home, I thought. No one could interrupt me from my work or my thoughts, I almost said to myself, as my thoughts began to drift. I had nearly begun to doze off again before I heard a knock at the door. Initially, I was shocked by the irony- the wonderful silence I had just been thinking of being interrupted. I assumed it was simply a figment of my tired imagination, and took a sip of coffee, the strong, bitter taste stinging my tongue. It was only a moment before the knock returned, so urgent and quick that I feared the wooden door would splinter. I was unworried, though- surely it would be girl scouts or campers (Our home sits in the clearing of a luscious green wood, unkempt and wild as a wood could be), or possibly the queen. But I was wrong. I sauntered to the door, and nearly dropped my coffee cup when I saw my visitors.  
For a moment, I thought I saw the grim reaper, and the devil himself, come to steal my soul for a sin I had committed years ago. Come to drag me to the burning pits of hell, amongst monstrous beings and zombified pigmen. But a rough voice, thick with a Scottish accent and cautiously slow, kept me from fainting then and there. "Ah, Lalna...uhm...s'up, mate?"  
Xephos and Honeydew. My old friends whom I nearly slammed the door on. They had changed substantially over the few years we had been separated; Xephos, once sturdy and tough, a hero, was now stiff, and fragile like glass. His arms stood by his side like a solider's, bony and thin. His skin was pale, nearly translucent like he was suffering a terrible plague. His long-limbed body was thin and looked as if it could not carry its own weight. Surely he wasn't the immovable force he had been once before. He still wore his blue and white-striped shirt, but it was simply a memory of what it had been before. It sat on him loosely, and his pale collarbone stood out starkly from his body. Worst of all, two eye-shattering bright flowers, adorning many petals, burst from where his sky-blue eyes should have been. His hair was a mess of dark, tangled curls that covered his forehead. his appearance was monstrous- a tragedy written by Shakespear himself. Honeydew was also a shadow of who he used to be; He appeared to have gotten lazier and more unkempt, as he simply wore sweatpants and a generic t-shirt from some miscellaneous band. He looked nothing of a strong, burly dwarf- his muscle had turned to flubber, and his beard was short and frizzy. His beady eyes had become tired and depressed, no longer the color of amber, or sunlight through whiskey, but trampled soil. His eyes were tired, and dim, and though he usually held a strong figure, attempting to look taller than he was in reality, his shoulders were slumped. He was gazing at me with a wide, quirky grin, but I knew that his tooth-gaped smile held secrets. He had frown lines. To be fair, I suppose I wasn't looking much better- I had gained some weight as the years grew more comfortable, and I was sure I looked just as unkempt. In front of Honeydew was a large cardboard box, grayed with age. The dwarven man hauled the box into his arms, straining against its weight, "Eh...Why don't ya let us in, buddy? I know it's been a while...but-" I simply stepped out of their way, my mouth agape. His thick voice sent shivers down my spine, made faded memories suddenly come to life behind my eyes- booming, carefree laughter, the smell of grass stains and sweat, our ignorance to what would happen only a few years later-  
Xephos brought me down to Earth with a presumably accidental nudge, and I sighed. My breath came out shaky and unsure.  
"Jesus Christ! It's taken us ages to get here. I've been up since dawn. When did'ja decide to move off into the woods? Xephos has just been on and on, 'e's excited to meet you- I know 'e's gone a bit quiet, but- Lalna?"  
"Ah, uhm..." My mind was in a sleepy and terrified haze, "I'll be right back." My skin ached. I knew what was coming. Under stress, the rosebuds hiding under my skin (implanted by Xephos himself) would burst, and vibrant red petals would painfully escape from my flesh. I decided I would not humiliate myself in front of these scoundrels; I would need my cure. The 'cure' is a handcrafted formula made from my own rose petals, and it calmed my nerves to smoke.  
"I could make some tea if you need it?" Honeydew helped Xephos sit on my sofa, his dark eyes watching me with concern.  
I almost laughed, "No, no. I'll be fine."  
I wasted no time in rushing through the claustrophobic hallway leading into my room. It was a perfect mess- books were stacked miles high on my work desk, ranging from Pride and Prejudice to AMAZING World Records of 2020. A sleek, silver computer, still open to the Weather Channel, and seven mugs staining the dozens of random, unimportant papers with brown week-old coffee. My bedclothes were rumpled and upturned from a night of deep sleep. My lamp was on, giving the brightly-lit room a yellowish glow. It sat on my oak bedside table unsteadily, and I wondered why it hadn't fallen yet. I prayed that it would fall and my forced meeting with Honeydew and Xephos would end in roaring flame. With shaky hands, I turned the lamp off and raided my drawers. Soon enough, i discovered my rose cigars, along with my trusty red lighter. I lit the smoke, feeling the warm, grey smoke mix with my breath to bring me to ecstasy. I stood there, indulging in the smoke for a moment before I finally walked back into the living room. Honeydew had left the room, leaving me to deal with Xephos. He sat, frozen, on the well-worn sofa. I could only stare at his horrific features, my cheer slowly fading.  
His hesitant voice rattled me, "Are you smoking, Lalna?"  
I chuckled. I had been too horrified to clarify that I was no longer a Lalna, but a Lalnable,  
I held the cigar between my teeth, "Lalna? My name is Lalnable, Xephos. How strange of you to forget the name you dubbed me by-"  
Xephos had the nerve to interrupt me, "My memory..." He attempted to turn his body toward me, letting out an irritated sigh at the wall, "Are you smoking?"  
"Yeah, actually. Does it bother you?" I sat next to him, joyfully breathing thick, rose-smelling smoke into his face. He barely flinched- if it bothered him, he was good at hiding it, "No, no." He seemed amused by my actions, which made my nerves sizzle with frustration, "I don't mind. But Honeydew might." He smiled, a thin-lipped ghost of a smile, "and..." He crinkled his nose, "The smell is just horrible. What are you even smoking? Garbage?"  
"Roses, actually," I grinned as I watched him all but jolt at the word.  
Xephos was silent for a moment before he said in a thin voice, "Must be terrible for the lungs."  
"Not at all."  
I held the cigar between two fingers, holding it in front of me as I eyed the cardboard box. It had been set on the table haphazardly, "What's in the box?" I inquired, feeling more comfortable thanks to the smoke.  
"Ah," Xephos was happy to change the subject, though his smile had faded, "It's...photographs, mostly. Honeydew wanted to look through them with you- and, er, he wanted you to have some. Some...photographs. Yeah,"  
Always so terrible with words. "Well, why are you here then?"  
"I have nowhere else to go. I live with Honeydew now." His slightly-amused tone had turned dark. "Uhm...LAl-Nah-bleh," I cringed. He said my name ever so slowly, delicately sliding each syllable over his tongue like it was a delicacy, "I've wanted to see you for...ehm...quite a while. I just..Haven't had the time, or the resources, or-"  
"Or my consent?" I put the smoke back between my teeth, puffing on it with a frown.  
"Uhm...yeah."  
This, I thought, would be one hell of an afternoon.


	2. Basil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basil: "hatred"

“Nothin’ like some tea to calm the nerves, ‘ey lads?”  
Honeydew came bounding from the kitchen, eyeing us with a broad smile. With three mugs full of hot tea balanced in his hands, it was a surprise he hadn’t dropped anything yet. I took a cigarette from my mouth and blew smoke into the air, Honeydew flashed me a grin and handed me my mug. This was very different than the average teacup, but I found myself agreeing to the dwarf’s portions. He was right; tea was a miracle worker. Honeydew’s eyes followed the smoke of my cigar as I sat back on the couch. Even though he was uncomfortable, he trailed behind me with the same grin. I puffed smoke into the air as he sat down on the couch. Smoke swam through the sun rays shining through the windows, dancing with countless dust particles. Cautiously, he placed one of the brown mugs in Xephos’ pale hands. After he decided that Xephos was settled, he took large gulps of tea, unaffected by its near-boiling temperature. Xephos held his mug of tea close to him, basking in the warmth. Bothered by the scalding mug burning his hands though, he blew softly into the steaming cuppa. Despite his best effort, all he got was warm air, so he made himself content with holding the hot mug. I set my mug on the tasteless table, taking a drag from my smoke and sighing with content. Again, Honeydew eyed the billows of thick smoke escaping my lips. It was clear he was uncomfortable with what I was doing. His muddy eyes stared hard into the rose-smelling vapor. The room was quiet. In bittersweet remembrance, I thought back to my quiet morning. Oh, how I yearned to have that lovely morning back. Once more, Honeydew’s blabbering shattered the quaint silence.  
“So… Lalna-”  
“-Ble. Lalnable.”  
“Yeah.” He shook his head, “So… Lalna…ble.” His voice sent lurches through my stomach. Resembling a predator’s, impatient to catch his prey. He waited for me to make a mistake. “You smoke now.”  
“Yea,” Careful and sly, I spoke slow. I would not be the predator’s next meal. “It’s my-,” I paused, ”cure,”  
“Is that, like,” He snickered, “Is that just what you call it?”  
“It keeps roses from bursting out of my flesh.”  
The sparkle of amusement in Honeydew’s eyes was instantly extinguished.  
“…Oh,” Any joking remark he might have had caught in his throat.  
“So, you can thank Xephos for the smoking.” I grinned smugly, “Besides, he said himself he doesn’t mind.”  
“He-” Honeydew blinked hard. This clearly baffled him. “He talked?”  
“Does he not do that often? He’s a bit of a motormouth if you ask me,”  
Eyebrows furrowing, Honeydew swallowed his retort. His brown eyes flickered with suspicion from Xephos to me. It was impossible to determine how he must be feeling. Finally, after a moment of silence, he let out a heavy sigh. He shook his head and grinned, then reached over to the box. Gently, he opened it, revealing a stash of photographs. I forced myself to look away. “We’ve been plannin’ on makin’ a photo album outta these,”

From Xephos’ face, I assumed ’we’ meant Honeydew. He sat, quiet.

“..But, we wanted ta give ya a few, in case ya wanted ’em. Besides, ’s a good bonding experience!”

“Sure.” I puffed from my smoke. “What’s all in here, anyways? Is it just photographs?”

“No, I don’t think so, actually,” he reached into the box, sifting around for something. It took him only a second to give up on this endeavour. Defeated by a cardboard box, he turned to me.  
“There’s a few tapes in there, from- well, they’re quite old.” He began, “Pro’lly from… ’bout… um… well- def’nitely a few years ago. We can watch ’em later if ya want,”

“No, no.” I objected. There was no way on God’s green Earth that I would sit with these monsters and relive those memories I’d worked so hard to forget. 

Honeydew stretched. “Alright. Let’s get started,” Xephos clung to the cushion like the slight disturbance disoriented him. He placed his hands on his lap, silent and stiff. 

A moment of silence befell us as if Honeydew and I were waiting to see who would make the first move. Honeydew deeply inhaled from his nose and placed his large hands into the box. Leaning against the couch, I watched him search blindly before pulling out what I thought was a book. Once he blew away the thin layer of dust that had settled on the top, I realized what it must be: a photo album. He’d said that’s what had been in the box, after all, and there was no reason for him to lie. The faded sharpie scribbled on the cover caught my eye:

Moonquest. 

My stomach churned.  
“Fucking hell.”

“Oh come on,” Honeydew’s smile contrasted my own grimace, “It’s lovely! I always enjoyed Moonquest.” That was a lie. “Do you remember how we all crashed into the moon-? Well, actually, it was more like, I crashed, you crashed, and Xephos… I think he suffocated.” 

My mind twisted and turned with each memory forced into it. I remembered every detail: the panicked edge in Xephos’ voice, the urgent, ear piercing cries as the rocket screamed for me to hold space, for the love of God. The taste of moondust in my mouth, the feeling of air being pushed from my lungs. But I remembered more than the pain; I also remembered the bittersweet pleasures: the scrumptious taste of Jaffa cakes, Honeydew’s warm hugs, and his cheerful, real smile. The feeling of Xephos’ hand in mine (he had always been such an affectionate friend). It was all so good…but the remembrance of them made them as painful as crashing into the moon. 

“I don’t understand why you see death as such a fond memory.” My voice came out shaky.

“Well, when we had the clones…” Honeydew glanced at Xephos, eyes flashing with conflicting emotions, before returning to his calm demeanor, “…well, we could just come back, you know? So, death wasn’t really a big deal.”

“But it’s still death. It hurts, and it’s… well, it’s not ideal,”

With a snort, Honeydew exclaimed, “’s not like we were trying to die, Lalnable!” as he broke into chuckles, he continued, “it’s just… uh, convenient, y’know? Bein’ able to just come back after we die from some stupid shit, which is inevitable in our case,”

Again, we fell into silence, death on the brain, and continued to go through the entire box. Moonquest was only the beginning; we skimmed through pages of pictures of the Jaffa Factory, Holediggers Inc, and even some (albeit limited) photos of Yoglabs. I saw my friends, young and cheerful… I saw my own glimmering eyes staring back at me. 

After what felt like hours, Honeydew’s voice rang from beside me, making me jump in surprise. 

“I… have to use the loo.” Of course. “Could ya… show me ’round?” 

We were only halfway through the photos. They sat on the table, next to my cold, half-drunk tea.  
I channeled my teenage years and released a gloomy sigh as I stood to my feet. Honeydew’s cheerful expression faded, filling my heart with glee. 

 

“Just lemme take a shit, Lalna,”

“-Ble.” 

“Lalnable.” He struggled to hide his annoyance. His tired brown eyes narrowed. 

My smile returned. I felt like my old self, although my ’evil’ motives were childishly sinister: Drive them away. Make them wish they’d never visited.

“Ah, you’re learning! Come on, then,” Without warning, I swiveled on one foot towards the hallway, and sauntered off towards it. By the time I’d reached the bathroom, he’d caught up to me. It wasn’t much: a bath and shower, a little toilet facing the wall, a sink littered with toothbrushes and creams and another lighter. The smell of rose-petals and ivy tickled my nose; this was where I usually smoked. Specimen Five had an offensive distaste to my smokes, and forced me to find other places to puff. Of course I had chosen the bathroom to be my resort. I wasn’t too fond of the smell either, especially when it was this extreme. Honeydew wrinkled his nose. 

“’s ’orrible.” He took in the intoxicating stench, staring into the bathroom. 

“If it bothers you, go piss outside. We live in the woods, so-”

“Ya know,” He turned around, tooth-gaped smile catching me off guard.

“This’s a nice place ya got ’ere,” His eyes twinkled with mischief, “…But I was fibbing a bit when I said I had the shits,” 

What? The humor in his voice only sharpened the knife of his words. My heart fluttered. I felt my skin tingle. Fuck. No, no. He couldn’t see me like this. I leaned against the wall as an excuse to back away from him.  
“Really now. You know,” My voice sounded strained, “You and Xephos are very dishonest. Tut tut, I’m sure this isn’t the only lie you’ve told me today.”

“Come on, Lalnable. Just lemme talk t’ ya.” 

“About what?” I spat. My hair stood on end, I was growing more and more anxious by the second. Today was getting worse and worse. Calm down, calm down Lalnable, it’s alright. I tried to puff from my smoke-

Honeydew swiped it from my shaking hands. He had confusion written all over his haggard face.

“Like- this, right here. Y’ said it was a cure, but I don’t get it.”

I forced a chuckle. Shuffling away from him, I shot back, “What is there not to get? It keeps my… problem… from…yeah,”

Still, he persisted.  
“But… we never found a cure for-”

“Maybe I happen to be smarter than you and Xephos!” I tried to snatch my smoke from Honeydew. “And- and maybe I was right when I said his illness was terminal!” 

So, this was why Honeydew had been so keen on chatting with me. Of course, he’d wanted to blabber about Xephos. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.  
He stared me in the eyes as he crushed it in his palm. The ashes burned his hand; he didn’t seem to care. Fire burned my arms, my legs; they were tingling like mad. My flesh, and the rosebuds beneath, the argument stoked the flames. My skin was clammy and red. One would think I was cold, with how much I shivered; but I was aflame. 

“No! No no no, there must be a cure-”

“Then why haven’t you found it, Honeydew?” I spat, “In all those years you two spent huddled up together, why didn’t you find a way to cure him!?”  
If I’d had my memory wiped like the rest of the clones, I might have felt bad for these insufferably assholes. After all, it was clear the two had worked hard to find a cure for those horrible little flowers. But now, I felt joy seeing the lines under Honeydew’s eyes, or the tremors in Xephos’ once still hands. I would not have to get revenge, however satisfying it would be. Here, I could watch the two unravel before me. 

“Because- dammit, Lalnable, you know why! We couldn’t just keep going with Yoglabs- it-”

That was the last straw. Hearing that name sent shockwaves through my mind. I faltered, vision spinning. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. My stomach churned, fuck, I would vomit if this went on any longer.

My body stung all over. A quick glance at my arms brought me even more nausea; rosebuds were poking from my flesh, and I could see the dents of thorns under my skin. I placed my hands on Honeydew’s shoulders and began pushing him into the living room, and finally out the door. Honeydew cried out apologies and justifications. I only grunted in response. It was all a blur: one moment, we were chatting near the bathroom, and the next, I had shoved my ex-friend into the grass. I whipped around, huffing, trying to control the urge to regurgitate my tea and coffee onto the carpet. As the chaos erupted around him, Xephos sat, stiff as a pole on the sofa, stoic expression mocking my anger. I rushed towards him, wrapping my arms around his waist and hoisting him from the couch. It was no surprise that Xephos was incredibly light. I carried him with ease outside. Xephos clung to me, scared to hit the ground, but terrified at what I may do. he yelped, “Lalna, wait, stop!” but his frightened voice was easy to ignore. I brought him outside and shoved him into the grass along with his terrible, horrible friend. Finally, I slammed the door behind me as I head inside, tumbled to the ground, and allowed the roses to escape from me. 

Nothing could stop it. The roses seared within my flesh, then burst from my skin, prompting screams to rip through my throat. I gripped the floor, gritting my teeth as the burning pain coursed through me. My fingernails dug into the carpet. I’d experienced this a thousand times, but it was one of those things you could never get used to. I thought maybe it would never end. But after what felt like years of agony, the pain subsided. My body ached, but at least it was over.  
My bleary eyes surveyed the scene: roses, a piercing shade of crimson, stuck out of my flesh. Reality swam and churned in front of me, my mind wandered, drunken with pain. I rolled onto my back and stared up at the ceiling. For a moment, I thought I saw the old Xephos, flowerless and pure, kiss my wounds. I felt his lips on my stinging roses, heard his gentle voice bounce off the walls. 

'Oh God, what happened?  
Lalnable, are you okay? Lalnable?  
Lalnable, wake up!'

My nausea settled as he smiled down at me. Those hazy blue eyes melted into the world around me. Soft light and the smell of dandelions dazzled my senses.

My vision faded to black, the echoes of Xephos’ hums deafening me.


	3. Peony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peony: "symbolizes bashfulness and compassion. It can also be used to express indignation or shame."

“Oh God, what happened?”

“Lalnable, are you okay? Lalnable?”

“Lalnable, wake up!”

…

“Lalnable!”

A feminine shriek jolted me awake. Though my vision was blurry, I could see Five standing above me. Dropped grocery bags surrounded us. From that, I could assume she’d finished her errands and head home when she found me here. As I gained my bearings, I looked around. I was on the floor, leaning against the couch; Five must have moved me. My whole body buzzed with pins and needles. Thankfully, my senses had returned, but so had the stinging. Fuzzy memories resurfaced. The red blotches covering my arms weren’t my imagination, they were roses, having sprouted from my body. Five stood above me, her wide eyes glued to the flora. 

Despite the pain beginning to seize me again, a smile found my lips. It’d been years since I created her, but still, her presence filled my heart with pride. Her face was round and soft, like her original, and covered in lovely purple flowers (which her light dress was exposing) Apparently, Five knew no weather she couldn’t flaunt in). I could smell their sweet scent from the floor. 

“Ah… Five,” My own croaky voice startled me. It worried her further. “How were your errands…? It’s… good to see you prospering on your own…” 

In a candid tone, she replied, “Thanks, boss,” She didn’t seem to think it was appropriate for me to praise her right now. She held a flowery hand to me, and I took it. Once I was on my feet, I leaned against the couch so I wouldn’t fall. 

“Boss.”

“Yea?”

“You’re not ’prospering on your own’, are you?” The flowers appeared to draw Five’s eye. Some crawled up my neck, hid under my shirt and made bulges in the fabric. She gently took my arm, inspecting it. “This hasn’t happened in forever. The one time I leave without you-”  
“Hey,” Smile never leaving my face, I patted her head with my free hand. “This isn’t the first time I’ve been without you, you know,”

Five blew a piece of hair from her face, “What happened?”

“I had visitors,”

“Oh!” Lifting her head to meet my eyes, she blurted, “I was going to mention that, before I, you know, found you dead on the ground.” I saw her lips curl into a small smile. Realizing this was a serious moment, she shook her head and turned her gaze back to my arm. 

“Does it hurt?”

“A little.”

“What about those losers made you freak out?” 

My smile fell. I took a deep breath, clearing my voice, “it was Xephos and Honeydew,”

Five gasped, blurting, “What!? Those bastards!” Whipping around in her seat, she scanned the door, like she would catch them standing there. 

With a soft chuckle, I smiled. Her energetic personality could bring light to any situation.  
“I feel the same way. Hopefully they won’t turn up again.”  
Luckily, my rampage hadn’t destroyed the room. It was almost like nothing had happened: a few mugs sat on the coffee table, along with photo albums stacked high and leaning on a mere cardboard box.  
“Seems they forgot their ’box of precious memories’.” 

“What were they doing here, anyway?” Five approached the coffee table, flopping down on the couch and lazily grabbing one of the photo albums. 

I sat next to her, trying to avoid looking the photos again.  
“They wanted me to have some photos. I kind of chased them off though, so they left everything here.”

“Oh,” Five flipped a few pages in and suddenly exclaimed, “Woah!”

“Huh?”

“Lalnable! Is this you? You look so- so-…cool!”

I followed her gaze to find an older picture of me, working on some experiment that Xephos’ must have assigned me before things got bad. I was holding a flask of a bright pink liquid. 

“I guess I do look pretty cool there. Not sure what I’m doing though.”

She pored over the photographs, flipping the fragile pages carefully. It was quiet, other than the soft sound of turning pages. Again, I relished in the silence. After everything that had happened this morning, I needed a chance to let my guard down. The subtle scent of roses teased my nostrils, bringing back sharp memories of sizzling agony. Things couldn’t be peaceful forever. 

A whisper broke the silence.

“Hey, Lalnable…?”

“Yea, Five?”

“Did you… like working with Xephos and Honeydew…?”

After being met with silence, she continued. 

“It’s just- you’ve always told me how awful they were, how they betrayed your trust- and I believe that. They’re jerks. But you had to have trusted them at one point, right…?”

“Five…”

“I just mean, why would they give you all this stuff if you didn’t haven history?”  
I took a deep breath. There was no need to get angry or flustered. She was only curious. And she was right: I never told her much, not even the best or worst parts of it all. So I spoke, 

“We were friends, at one time. In fact, when Xephos opened Yoglabs, I was one f their first employees…” The smell of bleach and fresh concrete replaced the smell of roses. I could feel gravel under my feet and beer on my tongue. It was a day like today: 2012, early october, already cold as balls but just bearable enough for a barbecue outside. Like the old friends we were, we laughed and fucked around for most of the afternoon. We’d taken a tour of Yoglabs- I admit, it was impressive- and begun some basic experiments. By the time the night was over, we’d been working on hiring some testificates to help us out. 

But behind the excitement was fear. For Xephos, it was the fear of death, and for Honeydew and I, it was the fear of our dear friend. We’d built Yoglabs on these fears. The main goal of Yoglabs was to find a cure, a way to get rid the flowers taking root in our friend. Unfortunately, no matter what we tried, nothing seemed to work. Xephos started to get desperate.

“You okay?”

Five’s voice tore me from my thoughts, “Sorry. Got distracted. We did have history. A long one, too.”  
Without thinking, I looked down, where I felt something brush my arm.

Five stroked one of the flower’s petals absentmindedly with her fingers, toying with my arm. Her eyes had turned away from the photographs.

“Poor thing,” she hummed, “’s all wilted…”

“Good for me, though.” I was careful not to move. Her touch was soft and gentle. “It means the petals will fall soon, and then it won’t be so painful.”

“Mhm,” She plucked a rose petal, looking at it in the light. 

Quickly becoming bored with studying the intricacies of the petal, she dropped it, and watched it float delicately onto the coffee table. Then, she turned to me again.

“You’re a strong man, Lalnable.”

“What do you mean? I mean, not that I don’t agree..” With a smirk, I flexed my arm. This would’ve been funnier if it didn’t hurt. Still, Five snorted.

“Not like that. I mean, you’ve been through a lot, but you’re still here.”

“Oh…yeah, I guess.”

“You’re perseverant.” With a breathy laugh, she added, “I love you for that,” 

My smile faltered, “You love me?”

Tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear, she said, “Well, um…yes, Lalnable,”

“As a friend or something, right?”  
I grew nervous. Love was not one of my strong suits, and even if it was, I didn’t necessarily feel that way about my creation. 

“Well, uhm,” She shifted in her seat, “I actually wanted to talk to you about that. D’you remember that one time, where we fell into a portal or… something?”

The time portal. My memories were especially fuzzy around that, but I did remember one iconic phrase.

“Remember, Lalnable?”

“I think so, yea,”

“And remember when I said I loved noodles?”

“…yes…”

“What I meant to say was- I- I love you, Lalnable.” 

Shit. 

“…Lalnable?”  
“Five, I…”  
I couldn’t look her in the eyes. The truth would break her heart, but to lie would only lead her on further. Of course, I didn’t want her to be disappointed, or embarrassed, but-  
“I’m sorry. I really am, but… I see you as my daughter- sort of. Like my apprentice, but I created you.”

No response.

“I do …love you, but it’s more of a friend or family love… you know?”

“I’m sorry,”  
Five sounded distant. I knew she must have been embarrassed, or heartbroken- probably both. 

“I’m sorry too.” I stood up, placing the photo album back in the box. Really, there wasn’t much point in doing it, but the feeling of finality made me feel more at ease. Additionally, it gave me a reason to distance myself from her, so she could process our conversation. I hoped that would work out. 

Finally, I turned to Five, holding a hand out for her to shake.

“Just friends?”

“…okay,” Though she was smiling, she avoided my gaze as we shook hands. 

Her hand fell back to her side, “uhm, on another note, Rythian was wondering if we wanted to come over tonight.” 

I glanced at the clock on the wall- it was just after noon.  
“Sure. Do you want to come with me?” 

“No thanks.”

“Okay. I hope you aren’t too upset,”

“No, it’s- it’s fine Lalnable. Really.”

She needed space. Rythian’s place would be a good distraction, I thought. In the meantime though, I would find something to do to distract myself.


	4. Pansy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pansy: "To think; remembrance,"
> 
> -
> 
> A little something to let you know that this fanfic continues on. Forget-me-not.

In the end, I found there wasn’t much to busy myself with. It was only noon, but everything in the town was closed. It must be Sunday. So, for about an hour and a half, I trudged through the damp leaves and took a wet, uncomfortable walk through the woods. The cold air had been refreshing before, but now I found myself shivering. I checked the clock on my phone: 2 pm. Rythian was expecting me around 4 or 5. Still, I couldn’t stand walking around for another minute. After everything that had happened today, my mind was roaming to places it shouldn’t. Memories of the good-old-days-turned-sour gave me a feeling of melancholy. I looked down at the scars in my skin; marks made by my own friends. How dare they try to visit me after what they had done? It was too late to apologize. Too late to make things right. 

In fact, I was insulted that they tried to contact me at all. Maybe now they would realize their failure. I’d be happy to never see them again. But, if I do, at least I will be more prepared. They’ll probably want their photographs back...

 

I sighed. Usually, I enjoyed going out on walks like this. The cool air, the quiet forest, was all peaceful. But my mind was buzzing too much and it was freezing. God, I hate the cold. If only I was sitting by a warm fire, or inside my own home… but I couldn’t go home yet. FIve needed her space. She deserved her space, after what had happened. A part of me regretted turning her down. Her face had gone solemn so quickly, and even now she was probably thinking about it like I was. In the end, though, I was only looking out for her. Although she is physically an adult, her mind is much different. She is much more immature and enthusiastic than her human counterpart. In that sense, she’s like a child. She also doesn’t have much life experience, although I try my best. That’s another reason we can’t be together: she is like a child to me. MY child. And so, although it broke her heart I’m sure, it was for the best to say no. 

I have been told since my escape that I am reluctant to change, and I can see why this is true. After all, I lived in a glass cage for many years after living comfortably most of my life. Change for me can be quite bothersome, but despite what they say I am fine with change. In fact, I like change. If nothing had ever changed, I would have never known Xephos and Honeydew’s true selves. If not for change, I wouldn’t have escaped that horrible facility. If not for change, I would never have created Five. Etcetera, etcetera. 

Once again, an icy chill ripped me from my thoughts. My hands were beginning to numb, and my mind was jumping from place to place like a damn frog.  
I texted Rythian that I would be there a little earlier, and without my dear FIve.  
A moment later, he sent a confused reply, ‘How early? And… why?’

‘i’ll be there in a few minutes, then I’ll tell you.’

‘Oh...kay? 

‘See you.’


End file.
